TU Dublin’s Dr Dympna O’Sullivan Invited to Speak at European Commission Event for International Women’s Day
Connecting Women in Digital event for #IWD2026 highlights urgent need to close Europe’s digital gender gap
With women accounting for only 19% of ICT specialists and just one-third of STEM graduates, a high-level European event marked International Women’s Day by focusing on practical strategies to close the digital gender divide across Europe.
Hosted by European Commission and Connecting Women in Digital, the event brought together senior EU officials, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to tackle one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: increasing the participation of girls and women in ICT.
Among the distinguished attendees were Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen and Member of the European Parliament Elena Sancho Murillo, alongside key stakeholders from across the European digital ecosystem.
Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr Dympna O’Sullivan represented Technological University Dublin and the wider university sector, contributing to discussions on strengthening Europe’s digital talent pipeline. The session focused on identifying concrete, expert-led recommendations that will inform the next iteration of the Women in Digital Declaration.
Speaking at the event, Dr O’Sullivan emphasised the vital role of higher education institutions in shaping Europe’s digital future:
From a research and education perspective, universities play a critical role in Europe’s digital future. As AI and digital systems increasingly shape our societies, diversity in those who design, build and govern these technologies is essential. From an innovation and competitiveness perspective, it is estimated that closing the gender gap in Europe’s digital landscape could add up to €16 billion to EU GDP each year.
The updated Women in Digital Declaration will be presented for signature by EU Member States, with a key milestone ahead: the Women in Digital Summit, set to take place in Ireland in October 2026 during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This event underscores the growing recognition that achieving gender balance in digital fields is not only a matter of equality, but also a strategic imperative for Europe’s innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.